MINSK, 27 March (BelTA) – The heads of parliament of the countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS IPA) have issued a statement on the 25th anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, BelTA learned from the website of the Federation Council.
Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of Russia's Federation Council heading the CIS IPA Council, convened the council to discuss the statement on 27 March. The statement reads that the CIS IPA holds considerable potential for strengthening the international parliamentary cooperation and serves as a platform for bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the member states and with international organizations.
“Over the past years, the CIS IPA has become an influential interstate organization among the CIS member states and other countries. As we sum up the results of the past 25 years, we once again reiterate our commitment to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation among the CIS member states in accordance with the principles of international law,” the statement reads.
The document also points out that the model laws adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly have contributed to the creation of conditions for the development of a market economy in the CIS member states.
The statement reads that CIS IPA's key responsibilities include ensuring the basic human rights and freedoms and monitoring the elections in the CIS countries.
The document also stresses the need for further expansion and strengthening of the inter-parliamentary cooperation in education, science, healthcare, sports, and information technologies.
Aleksei Sergeyev, Secretary General of the CIS IPA Council, said a few words about the initiative to establish the International Day of Parliamentarism. “This would draw the attention of the international community to the role of MPs in ensuring peace, stability and economic growth, and would contribute to the image of parliamentarism as a basic democratic tradition,” Aleksei Sergeyev said. He suggested celebrating MPs on 30 June, the day of the first session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1889. The Inter-Parliamentary Union is ready to present the initiative in the United Nations. The CIS IPA Council supported the initiative.
The Belarusian delegation to the CIS IPA events in Saint Petersburg is led by Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mikhail Myasnikovich.
